Attachment intended to save closet-space.



No. 842,821. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1901.

T. TRYON. ATTACHMENT INTENDED TO SAVE CLOSET SPACE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1908.1

2055x 666, U lnventdr: manta: a 0 v Q4 4/ u w y hm burrs earns THOMAS TRYON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT INTENDED TO SAVE CLOSET-SPACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed June 1, 1906- Scrial No. 319,738.

T0 at whom it'mcty concern.-

Be'it known that I, THOMAS TRYON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments Intended to Save Closet-Space, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in attachments to save closetspace, its chief object being to provide an article of this character suitable to be installed either in a new closet or in one already built, whereon may be suspended ordinary clothes-hangers now in common use, but which are entirely separate from the device.

In small dwelling-houses and apartmenthouses closet-space is of necessity limited, and oftentimes there are closets of sufficient capacity to contain articles of clothing in a suspended condition, but which by virtue of their location (under Stairways, for example) cannotconveniently be used for'that purpose, inasmuch as a person must assume a stooping attitude to hang clothing therein or to remove it therefrom. This is particularly true of closets of small height but of considerable depth.

My invention makes it possible to utilize such closets for hanging garments in the best possible condition, and the garments can quickly and easily be hung in and removed from such closet.

A further object of my invention is to provide an article of the character set forth which will be simple in construction, and therefore cheap to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention; but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction shown, but may make such changes, variations, and modifications therein as come properly within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box or closet havingmy attachment installed therein, a portion of the box or closet being broken away to illustrate more clearly the construction of the device, the front or end of the box or closet being shown as in an advanced position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation,

partly in section, of one of the telescopic members forming part of my device and a portion of the front or door of the box or closet, such front or door being represented in section. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the intermediate portion of one of the telescopic members.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference character 2 designates a box or closet, and 3 the front end or door thereof, which is movable with respect of the rear end and sides of the same, so that said front end or door may be moved forward, as shown in dotted lines, to obtain access to the interior of the box or closet. To facilitate movement of the front end or door of the closet or box, a pull-piece 4 is provided.

My device for hanging clothing consists of telescopic means, shown in the drawings as rods, eachdesignated by 5. Two of these rods are shown, although this number is not essential. The rods 5 are shown as arranged horizontally and in a vertical line and consist of a rear member 6, which may conveniently be made of a piece of tubing suitably tamped at its rear end into a'sleeve 7, adapted to be fastened to the rear end of the closet, and a forward member 8 which may also be formed of a piece of tubing of considerably larger interior diameter than the exterior diameter of the member 6, so that the forward member 8 may slide upon or telescope the rear member 6. The forward end of the member 8 is suitably threaded into a sleeve 9, arranged for attachment to the front end or door 3' of the box or closet. The member 8 is threaded at its rear end, and upon said threaded portionis secureda flanged member 1 O,l1av ing a central opening through which extends the member 6. The forward end of the member 6 is provided with a flange 11 of slightly smaller diameter than the interior diameter of the member 8. This flange 11 of the member 6 abuts against the flange 10 of the member 8 to prevent the separation of the telescopic members. (See Fig. 2.)

It will be evident that when my device is installed in a closet the front end or door has a movement from its closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, to the dotted-line position shown in said figure, a distance substantially equal to the length of the member 6.

4 The rear ends of the forward member 8 are preferably connected together by a vertical member or brace 12, which has its upper and lower ends suitably connected to the upper and lower telescopic members 8. This brace 12 serves to aid in holding the rear ends of the members 8 in parallelism. Depending from the lower member 8 in substantially a vertical line with the brace 12 and to all intents and purposesforming a continuation of the latter is a foot-piece 13, provided at its lower end with a roller adapted to rest upon and traverse the floor of the closet.

From the rear portion of the members 8 there extend oppositely-disposed arms, each designated by 15 and which are in the same vertical plane as the brace 12 and foot-piece 13. The outer ends of these arms 15 move against the inner faces of the sides of the box or closet as'the front is drawn out and moved back, such relation assuring the centering of the front or door with respect to the remainder of the box or closet and its square approach toward the opening of said box or closet as said front or door is moved toward its closed position, whereby said front or door will enter the opening of the box or closet without binding. Antifriction-rollers 16 may be provided in the lower edge of the front or door, which roll along the floor as said front or door is opened and closed, and thereby assure free action of such front or door at such times.

When the door of the box or closet is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the contents of the box or closet will be maintained in a substantially air-tight manner, so as to exclude dust and keep clothing of all kinds in the best possible condition. Shoes or other such articles may be placed on the floor of the box or closet, it being understood that the lower members 6 and 8 are arranged at a suitable height fromthe floor to freely pass over said articles, while garments, such as coats and trousers, may be suspended from the upper telescopic member 8 by means of the conven tional cl0theshangers, such as indicated at 14 in Fig. 1. The upper member 8 may support a large number of such hangers, they being prevented from sliding off of the member 8 by a flange 8, located near the inner end of said member.

When the device is installed in a new closet during the construction of the building, the closet is not provided with the usual hinged door, but the front or door- 3 is provided in lieu thereof, said front or door having the rollers 16 at its lower edge, and the outer ends of the members 8 are secured to the inner side of the front or door 3 by means of the sleeve 9. If desired, the ordinary hinged door may be provided in addition to the door or front 3 to close thereon.

When the device is installed in a closet already built, either an additional door or front 3 of substantially the same dimensions as the opening and having the rollers 16 at its lower end 18 provided,-or the door is re- 6 5 moved from its hinges, provided at its lower end with rollers, and secured to the outer ends of the members 8, as above described.

It is to be understood that my device may be embodied in a box or equivalent device and such box bodily installed in a closet or other suitable place, and I claim not only the telescopic means and their adjuncts separately as an article of manufacture which can be made and put upon the market for incorporation in a closet or the like, but also a box having the front or door 3 and provided with the attachment, as described.

T he door or front 3 constitutes one of several simple and convenient ways of connecting the forward or outer sections 8 of the telescopic rods and for simultaneously elongating or shortening said rods, as desire may dictate.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a plurality of telescopic rods each having a member movable with respect to another member, said rods having means for fastening them in place at the opposite ends thereof, a brace connecting the movable members of the rods, and guide-arms extending outwardly from said movable members.

2. As an article of manufacture, a plurality of telescopic rods each having a member movable witn respect to another member, said rods having means for fastening them in place at opposite ends thereof, a brace connecting the movable members of the rods, guide-arms extending outwardly from said movable members, and a prop pendent from one of the movable members.

3. A closet-space-saving attachment for supporting garments or the like, comprising a plurality of rods provided at one end with means for fastening them in place, a plurality of members each adapted to telescope one of said rods and provided with laterally-extending arms, a brace between said telescopic members near their inner ends, and means connecting the outer ends of said telescopic members for simultaneously moving the telescopic members upon the rods.

4. An attachment to save closet space comprising a box having a front bodily movable with respect to the body of the box, a plurality of telescopic rods, the sections of which are respectively connected with the back and front of said box, and a brace extending between the movable sections of the said rods.

5. An attachment to save closet space comprising a box having a front bodily movable with respect to the body of the box, telescopic rods, the sections of which are respectively connected with the back and front of said box, and arms extending oppositely from the front sections of the telescopic rods to engage the inner faces of the sides of the box on the backward and forward movement of said front.

6. An attachment to save closet-space comprising a box having a movable front, telescopic rods, the sections of which are respectively connected with the back and front of said box, arms extending opposite-1v from the front sections of the rods to engage the inner faces of the sides of said box during the forward and backward motion of said front, and a depending foot-piece connected with the front section of one of the rods to traverse the bottom of said box during said motion of the front.

7. An attachment to save closet space comprising; a box having a movable front, telescopic rods, the sections of which are respectivel y connected with the back and front of said box, a brace extending between the front sections of the rods, arms extend ing oppositely from said front sect-ions and arranged to engage the sides of the box on the forward and backward motion of the front, and a foot-piece depending from the lower front section to traverse the bottom of the box during the motion of the front.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TiioMAs TRYON.

Witnesses JAMEs M. GIBLIN, WULNER H. LAWSON. 

